Aeroplane



Aug. 26, 1930.

AEROPLANE Filed June 27, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l L. BLROT Aug., ze, 1930.

AEROPLANE Filed June 27,' 1928 5 sheets-sheet 2 L, BLERIOT Aug. 26, ifm.

AEROPLANE Filed June 27, 192s :5 sheets-sheet 3' Patented Aug. 26, 1930 UNI-TED STATES Louis BLBIOT, or rams, FRANCE .AEBOPLAN E Application led .Tune 27, 1928, Serial No. 288,627, and in Belgium July 2, 1927.

The present invention relates to aeroplanes and, more particularly, to a life-boat mounting for land-planes designed to traverse a body of water. One of the objects of kthe invention. is to provide a special fuselage design permlttmg the latter to be detached from the aeroplane and to function as a lifeboat.

, Another object is to provide forms ofassemblies permitting the fuselage or a simllar structure forming a normal part of the land plane to be detached from either the upper or lower portions of the plane. A

Further objects will appear in the course of the detailed description now, to be given with reference to the accompanying drawin s in which ig. 1 shows a quadri-motor plane fitted with one illustrative embodiment of the intaching mechanism adapted to be used in assemblies of the type illustrated in Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are details of the structure shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to theA various figures of the drawing, a is a. hollow wing structure; b controls for elevation, direction, `etc.; o, a vwheeled landing-gear; and d, a detachable fuselage adapted to carrying' passengers, freight, sails, oars or a motor and propeller and sha d so as to function in the manner 40 of a lifeoat. -Lifeboat d tits into a recess d1 and is shaped so as to o'er an aero-dynamic resistance corresponding to that of 'a normal fuselage. Door-frames e may be formed in the walls of fuselage d so as to permit per- 45 sons or objects in the wing portions of the plane to enter or to be brought into fthe lifeboat. A door f, fitted with proper sealing gaskets may be battened down over frame e to render the bottom of the boat water-tight. The boat assembly may be attached to or detached from the supporting frame of the plane in any one of a variety of ways. In the form of device shown in Fig. 1, a pair of recesses k1 and h2 are provided in the bottom of the boat which fit over a pair of transverse beams g1 and g2 forming part of the wing frame structure. Pairs of pins z', i, pass through the walls of recesses h1, h2 and through a tube j rigidly connected to frames g1 or g2 and are fitted with Cotter-pins or the like to prevent accidental disengagement. Once boat has been lifted clear of the plane, it suiiices to ram'pairs of gasketed plugs k into the oriiices left by pins i to render the boat sea-worthy. It will be noted that detachment of the boat does not impair the rigidity of the plane, the frame structure remainin intact.

In the orm of device shown in Figs. 4 to 6, means are provided for mounting the boat structure on the underside of the plane and v for detaching it therefrom. Here, the lowei` beam m of transverse wing truss g, is formed with a detachable section l which is built 'into the boat structure. Sections Z and beams m are formed with anges o1 and o2 respectively adapted to be/clamped together by a U-shaped element fn, having arms of U-section adapted to embrace said flanges. Itsufces to pull on a cable attached to element fn to-liberate secso tion Z from beam m, m, and launch the boatshaped fuselage. This form of device may be fitted with a door frame e and hatch f similar to thel one described in connection with Fig. 1.

The above described devices are not to be considered as exhaustin the possible constructive forms, thus, a p urality of oatable. fuselages may be provided instead of one; the floats of a hydroplane may be made detachable in the manner described, etc.

that I claim is 1. In combination, an aeroplane structure including means for landing on a solid surface, and a wing supported by beams positioned transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said aeroplane structure,'a doatable chamber and means operative tov lock said chamber to, and to .release said chamber from, said beams.

iop

LOUIS BLRIOT. 

